Bottle warmer



July 15 1958 H. B. SMITH ET AL 2,843,719

' vBOTTLE WARMER Filed Jan. 12, 195e l 2 sheets-sheet 1 July 15, 1958 H. B. SMITH E+ 2,843,719

l BOTTLE WARMER L A Filed Jan. 12, 1956 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 252e l A 7 l 1/ Il;

United States Patent O BOTTLE WARD/IER Hiram Bowen Smith, Madison, and William L. Schulz, Reedsburg, Wis., assignors to Hankscraft Company, Reedshurg, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application January 12, 1956, Serial No. 558,796

Claims. (Cl. 219 40) This invention relates to improvements in bottle warmers and other electrically heated devices wherein a body of water is heated by the passage of the electric current between spaced electrodes immersed in the water. By employing a measured quantity of water the device is given a definite time period of operation which is terminated by the evaporation of the water to dryness.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved liquid conductor heater of the type referred to, comprising'a novel construction and arrangement of the spaced electrodes. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for securing the electrodes in position in the vessel in which they are mounted. Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for securing the electrodes in the vessel in which they are located and at the same time securing in place above the electrodes an insulating plate adapted to support the bottle or other object to be heated. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings,

Figure l shows a perspective view of the bottle warmer of the present invention with a bottle mounted thereing' i Fig. 2 shows a horizontal section taken on the line i 2 2 of Fig. l above the electrodes andy the insulating plate;

Fig. 3 shows an enlargedvertical section taken on the Iline 3 3 of Fig. 2, with the upper part of the vessel broken away;

Fig. 4 shows a bottom plan view of the electrodes and the insulating plate shown in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 shows a -vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 shows a vertical section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 4.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention comprises a vessel 10 formed of porcelain or other insulating material which has an enlarged base flange 10a adapted to in Fig. l there is rest upon a table or other support. shown a baby bottle 11 mounted in position within the vessel 10 so that its contents can be heated by the passage of an electric current between the spaced electrodes which are mounted in the bottom of the vessel.

The vessel 10 has a bottom wall 10b above which are mounted the spaced electrodes 12 and 13 which are in the form of flat metal plates extending horizontally with apertures 12a and 13a formed therein to permit the ready escape of bubbles created by the vaporization of the water which is placed in the vessel to immerse the elec- Niice trodes. Above the electrodes there is mounted an insulating plate or disk 14 of circular form which has its outer margin spaced slightly from the upwardly extending annular wall 10c of the vessel. This insulating plate has formed therein a plurality of circular apertures 14a which are adapted to permit the escape of bubbles passing upwardly from the electrodes 12 and 13 and this plate is provided on its upper side with radially extending ribs 14b upon which the bottom of the bottle is adapted to rest, thus providing spaces between the top surface of the plate 14 and the bottom of the bottle through which bubbles may escape outwardly after passing upwardly through the apertures 14a in the plate.

The insulating plate 14 has its lower surface 14e` resting on the bottom wall 10b of the vessel and it has a central cavity 14d into which the electrodes 12 and 13 project. The outer portion of the plate 14 is notched on its underside at diametrically opposite points to receive upwardly extending projections 10d and 10e which are formed on the upper side of the bottom wall 10b of the vessel. The outer wall of the plate 14 around the central cavity 14d is also provided with arcuate notches 14e extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the vessel to provide openings through which steam generated by the electrodes may pass out laterally from the chamber 14d and thence move upwardly at the sides of the plate 14.

The upper electrode 12 is clamped in position on the upper side of the projection 10d of the bottom wall of the vessel by means of a bolt 15 and nuts 16 which engage the lower threaded extremity thereof. The bolt passes through an aperture in a tongue 12b formed in the end of the electrode 12 and it is engaged on opposite sides of this tongue by washers 17. The-lower end of the bolt 1S is engaged by a washer 18 which seats against the underside of the bottom wall 10b. The nuts 16 are adapted to clamp between Vthem an electric conductor 19 whichis connected to the source of electric current. The space around the bolt 15 in the aperture through which it extendsin the bottom wall 10b is tilled with leady 20 or other suitable sealing material to form a fluidtight joint. f

The upper electrode 12 is provided at its end, vony opposite sides ofthe tongue 12b, with two other tongues 12C Vwhich extend Vhorizontally endwise from the body of the plate 'and engage recesses 14jc formed in the plate 14 and extending downwardly from they top surface thereof. AThe tongues 12e yengage ythe bottom walls ,14g of the 'recesses y141,` as shown particularly in Fig. 6, and when the nuts 16 are tightened on the bolts 15, the tongues 12a are held securely against the shoulders 14g and the electrode 12 is held rigidly in a horizontal position with the extremity thereof opposite the bolt 15 engaging the underside of a shoulder 14h on the Plate 14.

The lower electrode 13 is formed and mounted substantially like the upper electrode 12 but is located at a lower level. It is provided at one end with a horizontally projecting tongue 13b which is apertured for engagement by a bolt 22 which extends downwardly through an aperture in the bottom wall 10b of the vessel with its lower end engaged by nuts 23. A pair of washers 24 are engaged by the bolt 22 on opposite sides of the electrode 13 and this bolt also engages a washer 25 which seats against the lower surface of the wall 10b above the nuts 23. These nuts are adapted to clamp between them an electric conductor 26 which is adapted to be connected to the terminal of the electric circuit opposite to that to which the conductor 19 is connected. These conductors are adapted to be brought into the space 27 beneath the bottom wall 10b through a suitable aperture formed in the base iiange 10a of the vessel 10.

The lower electrode 13 is provided with two projecting tongues 13C located on opposite sides of the tongue 13b and adapted to extend into recesses 141' which extend downwardly from the top surface of the insulating plate 14. When the nuts 23 are tightened, the electrode 13 is held securely in a horizontal position in spaced relation to the top surface of the Wall 10b of the vessel and the projecting portion of this electrode then bears against a lug 14j which extends downwardly from the underside of the plate 14. At the same time, the tongues 13C bear against the shoulders 14k at the lower ends of the recesses 141'. In this way, the two electrodes are rigidly supported in parallel relationship and they also interlock with the insulating plate 14 so that this plate is thereby held in lfixed position within the vessel. In order to provide a Huid-tight joint, thejspace around the bolt 22 in the aperture through which it extends in the lower wall 14h is filled with lead or other sealing material 28. The chamber 27 beneath ythe bottom wall 10b of the vessel is normally closed by a metal plate 29 which bears against a lug 14m extending downwardly from the bottom wall of the vessel and this plate is secured to the lug 14m or to another part of the vessel by a suitable rivet or the like.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that there has been provided a novel form of liquid conductor heater adapted for use in warming bottles and the like wherein spaced electrodes are secured in place in a simple and novel manner by means which also serves to secure in position the insulating plate or disk upon which the bottle is adapted to rest. For purposes of cleaning and repair the plate 29 may be readily removed and then, after removing the nuts 16 and 23, the insulating plate 14 and the electrodes 12 and 13 may be readily removed through the top of the vessel.

Although one form of the invention has `been shown and described by way of illustration it will be understood that the invention is not limited and may be constructed in various other embodiments which come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. AV liquid conductor heater comprising, an insulating vessel having a bottom wall, a pair of spaced electrodes extending parallel toeach other above said bottom Wall, each of said electrodes having a tongue projecting from one end thereof, terminal posts extending through said bottom wall and connected to said posts, and an insulating plate mounted above said electrodes and having recesses therein, said electrodes having other tongues projecting therefrom to interlock With said recesses.

2. A liquid conductor heater comprising, an insulate ing vessel having a bottom Wall, a pair of spaced electrodes extending parallel to each other in said vessel adjacent said bottom wall, said electrodes having oppositely directed tongues projecting therefrom, said bottom wall having parts on which said tongues rest at different elevations spaced from each other and from said bottom wall, and terminal posts extending through said bottom wall and connected to said posts.

3. A liquid conductor heater comprising, an insulating vessel having a bottom wall, a pair of spaced electrodes extending parallel to each other in said vessel adjacent said bottom wall, said electrodes having oppositely directed tongues projecting therefrom, said bottom wall having parts on which said tongues rest at different elevations spaced from each other and from said `bottom wall, terminal posts extending through said bottom wall and connected to said posts, and an insulating plate located above and interlocked with said electrodes.

4. A liquid conductor heater comprising, an insulating vessel having a bottom wall, a pair of spaced electrodes extending parallel to each other in said vessel adjacent said bottom wall, said electrodes having oppositely directed tongues projecting therefrom, said bottom wall having parts on which said tongues rest at diierent elevations spaced from each other and from said bottom wall, terminal posts extending through said bottom wall and connected to said posts, and an insulating plate extending oversaid electrodes and resting on said bottom wall, said plate being secured to said electrodes.

5. A liquid conductor heater comprising, an insulating vessel having a bottom wall, a pair of spaced electrodes extending parallel to each other above said bottom wall, each of said electrodes having a tongue projecting from one end thereof, terminal posts extending through said bottom wall and connected to said posts, and an insulating plate mounted over said electrodes, said plate havingy parts which bear upon the upper sides of said electrodes, the upper electrode having an aperture therein through which one of said parts extends to the bottom electrode.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,944,495 Collins Ian. 23, 1934 2,243,651 Price May 27, 1941 2,300,891 Hanks Nov. 3, 1942 2,555,229 Fisher May 29, 1951 2,582,781 Johnson Jan. 15, 1952 2,666,127 Johnson Jan. 12, 1954 

